K Kitty Katastrophe!
by Pansychic27213
Summary: After Season 1, Sebastian is now in possession of Ciel's soul. What he does is rather... unexpected... [Neko!Ciel, fatherly!Sebastian] (I accidentally deleted this, and now I'm reposting it.) Rated T for torture scenes and gore.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I already posted this story once, but I confused it with a different one (somehow) and completely deleted it... Oops. Anyway I took that as an opportunity to go back and revise it a little bit.**

**1\. This is not a SebaCiel fic. It was meant to be a father/son thing. I gave Ciel a very childish outlook in this story, and Sebastian is more caring and wise. Like a CHILD. And their FATHER.**

**2\. The original concept for this story is not mine. This is based on a doujinshii I read. I didn't like exactly how the events played out in that, or how it ended. (Do not underestimate the power of Rated 18.) So, I rewrote it and turned it into a family fic. **

**3\. Also, I didn't want Ciel to end up either dead or a demon, or for Sebastian to just walk away or be forced into eternal servitude. This was just one scenario for how the anime could have ended.**

**K Kitty Katastrophe!**

Ciel sat up abruptly. He felt his ear twitch.

A headache made itself known to him then; he groaned weakly in protest.

_What happened?_ he wondered_. Last thing I can remember is that Sebastian had killed Ash, and we arrived at that little island. He put me down on the stone bench, and then I fell unconscious again before he could eat my soul..._

The child looked around wearily, feeling frustrated and anxious. If his revenge had been completed, then why was he still alive? There was truly no point in his continued existence.

"S-Sebastian?" He called quietly. Was he even allowed to call for the demon anymore? Their contract was done, wasn't it? Sebastian had no need for him... Except to eat his soul, which he didn't appear to have done... Did he have no need for his soul after all? Was all of that which they accomplished worth nothing, then?

Ciel really didn't understand what was going on, and he was hungry, tired, cold, thirsty, and alone. He didn't know what had happened, and his whole body was aching. He really didn't see why he should or could still be alive. Everything just seemed rather pointless now, looking back on everything he had done with his demon butler.

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes.

"S-Sebastian?" He tried again. He wiped his eyes. _I am the Earl of-_ Oh. No, he wasn't.

A quick glance at his hand told him that he didn't even have the flower ring from the river.

Ciel really felt like breaking down into sobs sometime about now.

Was everything for nothing? They had ruined so many peoples lives and killed so many others...

And Sebastian didn't even eat his soul...

_After all that, he didn't even..._

Ciel frowned.

Well, if revenge accomplished nothing, would crying?

More tears came to his eyes.

No, it wouldn't do anything. But sometimes doing pointless things just feels good...

And he hadn't cried in a very long time.

Would it even matter if he cried?

He was alone in this unfamiliar room, and he didn't know where anyone was. The room was practically empty, too. There were no signs that anyone had spent any time here for years at least.

He whined weakly.

Did he really even want to cry though?

Ciel jolted.

What did he want?

What was his purpose anymore?

He was supposed to be dead, wasn't he? So he couldn't go back and be the Earl of Phantomhive.

He could never see Lizzie, Meirin, Baldroy, Finny, Tanaka...

And if Sebastian didn't eat his soul, then his purpose wasn't to be eaten.

The Queen was dead too! So he couldn't serve her...

In fact, if he had exacted his revenge, he really didn't know who he was anymore! He didn't feel any anger, or any hatred. He just felt...

Empty.

Lonely.

Miserable.

This was about the time when Ciel's tears broke past his eyelashes and raced down his cheeks in sparkling streams.

The blue eyed child quickly brought his hands up to cover his mouth.

It's a very scary and hurtful thought to think that you truly serve no purpose in life. It cuts right through every wall you've ever built up and digs into your soul. The dark thought will engrave itself on your heart, slowly breaking you apart from the inside out.

Ciel was shaking from trying to stop. His whole body trembled with the effort, but it was all in vain. Tears were overflowing from his eyes, not ceasing anytime soon. His chest heaved with sobs. His lips were quivering, holding back the venomous words he wanted to say to himself.

_You're worthless_, he thought.

_You can't do anything._

_Even Sebastian didn't want you-_

The door to the room opened, and there, the demon butler stood in a simple button up shirt and pants. His glistening black hair and the towel around his neck indicated that he had recently taken a bath.

The boy froze mid-sob and stared up with wide eyes at the man.

"Young lo- No, I mean... Ciel?" Sebastian questioned. His red eyes glinted in the light from the doorway. "All I have to do is leave you alone for two seconds and you fall apart. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." The demon sighed.

Ciel jolted, realizing he was staring, and quickly wiped his eyes. He sniffled softly and looked up to Sebastian.

The man stepped forward and knelt in front of the boy. He cupped the teen's face and used his thumbs to wipe his eyes. Red eyed stared into Ciel's with concern. "Are you alright?"

"W-what-?" The boy squeaked in confusion.

"What happened?" Sebastian finished teasingly. "You truly have a worthy soul. I did mean that when I first said it, and I still believe it now. But, maybe I was wrong about what your soul was worthy of." He chuckled and let his head fall, dropping his hands from Ciel's face at the same time. "I ate someone else's soul. It wasn't quite as fine as yours, but it was satisfying. Your soul is worthy of being preserved. So, I decided to keep you as a pet."

"A-a pet?" The teen frowned.

"Well, some adjustments had to be made for that to happen..."

Ciel's ear twitched again.

It took him a second, but he got it.

Blue eyes widened in shock, and soft, pale hands came up to feel the top of his head. Ears. There were ears there. Cat ears.

There were cat ears attached to the top of his head.

Ciel just glanced over his shoulder to see a matching tail.

"S-Sebastian?" He found himself muttering. He stared blankly at his tail for a few seconds before moving his eyes to his hands, yet they remained unseeing. Finally, he looked into the demon's eyes. "What is my purpose?"

Sebastian looked up and stared at the neko-child. His red eyes gleamed with something strange and wild.

"Your purpose?" He repeated. "What a ridiculous question. I suppose you do what any pet does; you care for me."

"Care for you?" Ciel asked before yawning. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't you rest and we'll talk about this more when you awaken?" Sebastian suggested. Ciel nodded slowly. The man scooped the blue eyed child up and exited the room. "I apologize for leaving you alone like that. I realize that it was probably very disorienting. But, some adjustments had to be made to the house after all."

The teen sleepily took note of a large, fluffy mat in the corner of the next room and some signs on every door, saying what they led to.

Ciel was gently deposited on the giant, round pillow in the corner. He yawned again quietly and curled up into a ball.

Sebastian's eyes twinkled.

The world slowly faded to black.

-{[(•)]}-

_It's cold._

All Ciel could think of was the cold. The mansion was never this cold; Sebastian knew better than to let it reach this temperature.

The dark haired boy had to think for a long moment on why it felt like ice was creeping into his bones.

Oh, he remembered, that's right. Sebastian made me his pet instead of eating my soul. I'm living with him now.

The boy shivered and tiredly opened his blue eyes. Dim morning light filtered through the windows around the room.

Ciel scratched his ear and felt his tail twitching.

This was going to take some getting used to...

What should he do?

What did pets do?

He never had a pet himself, having been allergic to cats and his mother allergic to dogs. His dad just didn't like animals.

Ciel thought for a moment on everything he had read about pets...

But it wasn't like he could do that...

He frowned softly and wondered some more as he got up and stretched. He glanced around the spacious room and tried to figure something out.

There was a round table with multiple wooden chairs, some counters with cabinets and potted plants, and each window had a pair of curtains. It was quaint and homey... Not something he would have expected from a demon like Sebastian...

Okay, so maybe he could have expected it a little bit...

The teen scowled.

Sebastian said something last night, something important. What did he say? It could be the key to solving this problem...

_'I suppose you do what any pet does; you care for me.'_

Ciel pondered on this for a moment.

What did the man mean by that? Care for him how?

The teen huffed.

He was used to knowing what to do, what he wanted. He was used to understanding his purpose.

He used to exist, solely to gain revenge and take back his pride. Then he would give his soul away to be devoured.

Now, he was a pet...

"Well," he whispered to himself. "How do you take care of someone?"

A lightbulb went off above his head.

The blue eyed boy smiled.

He could always start with feeding Sebastian. He already knew where the kitchen was since he had slept in the corner by the stove.

Ciel shivered once more and set to work.

Of course, he used to be an earl, waited on hand and foot by servants. His every whim was attended to, and he never had to take care of anything for himself.

So maybe cooking wasn't the best idea...

The teen squeaked out in surprise when the contents of the frying pan suddenly caught on fire. Smoke flooded the kitchen as he scrambled to put the fire out.

Suddenly, Sebastian rushed in from his bedroom. He quickly poured some water on the fire and used a blanket to fan the smoke out of the kitchen. Then he opened some windows to let the abode air out.

The man turned on Ciel with dangerous eyes.

"What were you doing?" He asked. The neko-child shrunk back; his tail wrapped around his ankles.

"I was trying to make breakfast-"

"Ciel," the demon sighed, but he couldn't hold back a smile. "I guess I didn't explain it very well, did I? We're both immortal now. I preserved your soul; you can't die. And I'm a demon. Neither of us need food. I eat souls anyway."

Blue eyes blinked owlishly in shock.

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh.'" Sebastian looked around the kitchen. "Come now, let's get this cleaned up. If you want to cook, I will teach you. Though, it would really serve no purpose..."

Ciel nodded, and the two males worked together to clean the room, moping the floor, scrubbing the counters, and washing the dishes.

Sebastian looked around once more before nodding once in approval. He gave Ciel a particularly frightening smile.

"I do hope that there won't be a repeat of this morning's episode at noon?" He asked with perfect calmness. The teen nodded quickly. "Now, I have some work to do in the office. You may do as you please, I suppose."

The demon turned to leave.

"I-I'm sorry, Sebastian," Ciel apologized quietly.

All he received was a scratch behind one of his ears.

-{[(•)]}-

The more Ciel thought about it, the more he came to a specific conclusion.

He owed Sebastian more than just his soul.

During their contract, not only had Sebastian saved his life multiple times, but he had also catered to Ciel's every need. Then, instead of consuming his soul, the demon had gone and preserved him for the rest of eternity.

And he didn't really have to do anything.

He just had to 'care for' Sebastian, whatever that meant.

All the man wanted in return for years of service and protection was a pet.

_A pet._

-{[(•)]}-

Recently, the blue eyed neko-teen had developed a sense of loyalty and adoration towards Sebastian.

The man was surprisingly kind, albeit distant...

He spent most of the day in his office, doing God knows what.

And that was fine with Ciel.

The boy could do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't break anything. Even though it was always cold in the house, he was enjoying his time there.

But he still wanted to serve his purpose, to 'take care of' Sebastian.

He had thought the house needed a little dusting.

So, he had very carefully wiped down all of the counters, and only lifted decorations for a few seconds to wipe down the space underneath before replacing the item exactly where it had been. He thought he had been doing a good job until he got to the spare room.

Sebastian liked to use it as a storage room, you see.

There were all kinds of things in there- paintings, furniture, towels, weapons... You name it.

Ciel had only stood on a chair to reach the top of a cabinet when the chair suddenly teetered and he fell. The teen only barely managed to keep from shouting out in surprise, but he couldn't help a small exclamation of pain when he cut his hand on the stack of swords nearby.

"O-ouch," he winced quietly and cradled his hand to his chest. Seconds later, it was stinging.

Badly.

Ciel bit his lip and scuttled into the corner to hide.

Sebastian had to have heard him fall.

"Ciel?" The demon questioned when he entered the room. The man only glanced around for a second before his eyes landed directly on the pile of swords. "Oh my. Whatever were you trying to do?"

The boy just silently shrunk back farther into the corner.

"I know that you're in here."

Ciel remained quiet.

Sebastian sighed and walked leisurely over to the corner. The teen inhaled quickly, shut his eyes tight, and held his hand close to his chest.

"I see you."

He was suddenly lifted by the back of his shirt.

Ciel opened his eyes shamefully.

"Let me see."

His tail wrapped around his ankles.

"Now, Ciel."

He held out his hand.

"Oh, Ciel. Why does this keep happening? What were you trying to do now?" Sebastian sighed as he looked over the bleeding appendage.

"I was trying to clean," the blue eyed child admitted.

"Clean?" The man looked surprised.

"Yes," Ciel nodded. "To start caring for you. I can't cook, and you don't bathe."

"I bathe."

"I assume you don't want me to bathe you."

"There you go."

"How am I supposed to take care of you?"

Sebastian just sighed.

"'Care for me,'" he corrected. "Not 'take care of me.'" He gently prodded Ciel's hand.

"Ouch!" Ciel startled and tried to pull away.

"Hmm, it appears to be very sensitive. It's alright. It should heal in a few days," the man offered. He allowed the boy to take back his hand.

"Injuries don't just heal like magic," the dark haired boy argued.

"No, most don't," Sebastian smiled in that way that made shivers run down Ciel's spine. "Your soul is now linked to mine. That's the preservation I set. You can only die if I do, and my life force will always protect and heal you."

Ciel thought for a moment. "Your life force?" He finally questioned. "Does that mean you will eventually die?"

"My life force is equal to the quality of the souls I consume."

The boy's eyes widened.

_'I'm sorry for being late my Lord, but I was preparing the Last Supper.'_

The neko-child gulped and quietly looked away. Sebastian was going to have eaten his soul and had a huge supply of life force. Now, he was using his life force for him...

"Let's get this wrapped up," the demon finally suggested. He led Ciel to his office, where he pulled some bandages from one of the bookcases.

The duo was quiet as Sebastian started to clean the wound.

Ciel flinched.

The red eyed man started to wrap the blue eyed boy's hand.

"Now," Sebastian leaned into the child's face. "I don't want any more incidents. We don't need to eat, and the house doesn't need to sparkle. I don't want you to bathe me, and the garden will not ever need tending to. Think you can handle that?"

At first, Ciel had been intimidated by the older being. His tail had wrapped tightly around his ankles, and his ears had pressed back against his head.

But that last comment made his ears snap up.

One of them twitched.

"Of course I can _handle_ it!" He snapped. "I was just trying to _help_."

He turned and stormed away, heading to his little mat in the kitchen.

He sat down grumpily. He tail swished side to side, but his ears were high and alert for any changes in the house.

It was still cold, though, so he had to keep shivering.

-{[(•)]}-

Ciel woke up the next morning in Sebastian's bedroom.

He sat up immediately after he realized where he was.

His mat had been moved to the corner of the demon's bedroom.

And said demon was still asleep.

The blue eyed boy wanted to hiss at Sebastian.

_That jerk_, he thought. _He did this just to scare me!_

He looked around nervously, not really believing what he had just thought. Why had Sebastian really moved him in here?

Ciel quietly played with the end of his tail as he waited for the man to awaken.

Suddenly, he stopped.

His ear twitched.

Why was he waiting?! If Sebastian was doing this to scare him, then by all means, why should he wait for the demon to wake up?!

The teen smirked and silently padded across the floor to the bed. Just as he was about to jump on the black haired man and jolt him awake, a cold draft blew through the room from the window.

Ciel gasped and quickly rubbed his arms, trying to stop shivering. He dropped to his knees and curled in on himself.

_Cold._

_Cold._

_So cold._

_Why am I so cold?_

_Why am I always so cold?_

_Did it even matter?_

_I need to get warm._

_Cold._

_Cold..._

_So..._

Ciel's teeth were chattering, as though all of cold he had been feeling for the past weeks of his stay had gathered inside him and was trying to force its way out. The boy shook as he tried to return to the mat.

He collapsed to the floor in a shivering heap.

Strong arms suddenly surrounded him and set him on something warm and soft. He opened his eyes to see Sebastian, once again looking mildly irritated with him.

The demon just lifted the covers and placed them over the boy.

Ciel's ear twitched.

"Why didn't you tell me you were cold?" The man demanded.

The boy was slowly beginning to cease shivering. He remained silent.

The demon's eyes flashed.

"Your job is to care for me, but that doesn't mean that I'm not supposed to care for you too," Sebastian hissed. "Haven't you ever had a pet, or small relative?"

Ciel just slowly shook his head.

"Never?"

"N-no." Ciel silently observed that Sebastian's bed smelled kind of nice, like roses and cookies. It made him feel like he was being wrapped in a warm hug.

He felt safe.

"Fine," Sebastian sighed. "Let's rephrase your purpose. I want companionship. I don't want a _servant_, or else I wouldn't have kept _you_. You were an _earl_; you know _nothing_ of taking care of another's physical needs."

Ciel stared at the man with widened eyes.

"Companionship means that I have to take care of you, too. Relationships go two-ways, and they're based on communication. I can't take care of your needs if you don't tell them to me," Sebastian continued. "You tried to put out the kitchen fire by yourself instead of calling for help. You hid the injury on your hand instead of seeking assistance. And you've been cold without asking for warmth."

Ciel felt his ears lower against his head shamefully.

"I could have easily helped you in each of those situations. And we could have avoided them altogether if you had just talked to me. You can't serve your purpose unless you let me care for you as well," the red eyed man concluded.

The blue eyed boy nodded.

"Alright," Sebastian smiled. "Well, it's probably for the better, then, that I noticed your shivering yesterday and decided to do something about it." He gracefully crossed the room to his cherry wood dresser and opened the top drawer. Out came a thick, fuzzy sweater.

Sebastian made Ciel sit up straight and helped him pull the wooly sweater over his head. The boy instantly stopped shivering.

"It's so warm," he grinned quietly. He held up his arms. "And big..." His smile faltered just a bit.

"Well, I didn't have your exact measurements," the demon admitted with an adoring smile as he watched Ciel fiddle with the shirt. "Stand up. Let me see."

The boy stood up on the bed, still shorter than the demon. The sweater reached down to the middle of his thighs, and the sleeves extended an extra couple inches past his hands.

"That is simply adorable," Sebastian commented. Ciel went red.

"Oh, shut up, you!"

The demon smirked.

"You know what that would look good with?" He asked.

Ciel's response was a pillow to the man's face.

-{[(•)]}-

The blue eyed boy ended up wearing the sweater every day, at all times.

It was just so warm, and it smelled so nice.

_Like Sebastian._

The demon had started leaving the house. He was gone from early morning to late in the evening, and Ciel was left alone in the house all day.

At first, the teen had panicked, for some reason thinking the demon had left him for good. Of course, he had soon settled into the routine.

But it was rather lonely staying by himself in the house, and Sebastian had instructed him that he wasn't allowed to go out into the garden when he wasn't home. So the poor neko-child was locked up in their home by himself.

Ciel sighed.

It was so boring, just sitting there all day doing nothing of value. He was left with so much time to just think, and none of his thoughts were pleasant.

_You're awful_, they said.

_Sebastian doesn't like you; that's why he keeps leaving_, they told him.

He had taken to sleeping through the day.

The boy frowned and looked out of the window again. _Sitting on the floor is uncomfortable_, he decided.

He was currently seated on the floor underneath the window, waiting for Sebastian to return.

The teen grabbed one of the chairs from the kitchen table and lifted it as high as he could. "_Oof_!" He grunted under the weight of the chair. He brought the chair to the window and set it down. Smiling even at such a minor achievement, the blue eyed child sat down and watched out the window once more.

At least this time he had an even better view.

The sun was setting in the distance when Sebastian came home to find Ciel asleep in a chair by the window. The demon just smiled softly and carried the boy to his mat in their bedroom.

-{[(•)]}-

The days were hard enough for Ciel, waiting in a silent, empty house for Sebastian, but the nights were even worse, if you can imagine.

To think, after spending all day waiting for him, Sebastian just came home and fell asleep again.

He was right there after all that time, but Ciel could never disturb him.

He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Sebastian always looked so peaceful when he slept, and the teen knew that he had spent the day working hard. He didn't want to interrupt the little rest the man got.

But since he was usually alone, Ciel still spent his days sleeping. Which meant that he was awake at night, torturing himself with watching Sebastian and never talking to him.

-{[(•)]}-

The duo's lives continued like this for a while.

Ciel spent his days bored and alone while Sebastian worked.

The nights were long and filled with miserable loneliness.

So Ciel tried to start doing something during the day so that he wouldn't have to stay up all night.

His first idea was reading.

Sebastian hadn't exactly been happy about him trying to get into his study.

So he'd tried to organize the mess of a spare room. He separated everything by categories and tried to make neat piles.

He just ended up with sore muscles and a pained tail from when a box had fallen on it.

So, he'd decided to take up a hobby.

Ciel had thought over possible hobbies long and hard. Many things sounded uninteresting to him. There were quite a few things he knew Sebastian wouldn't let him do. And he wanted to do something productive, something he could show Sebastian so they could finally have something to talk about.

He'd settled on baking.

His first attempt had been a cake from a book he found in the spare room.

Sadly, that was a terrible failure. The cake itself was too dry, the frosting tasted like thick wads of paper, and it had almost blown up the oven when he had originally tried making it.

His second try had been scones, something he was familiar with from England. They were hard and tasteless. It's not hard to say that they were a failure as well.

But then he tried to make some cookies.

It had taken a lot of work to get the cookie book out of Sebastian's office. The man almost always knew when the teen snuck in there.

Then he had to make the cookies themselves. He'd gathered the ingredients and followed the recipe almost perfectly, only increasing the amount of butter, chocolate and sugar by a very minute amount. Next, he'd made sure they were all the same size, shape, and thickness before very carefully putting them in the oven. He hovered over the cookies worriedly; they just couldn't burn! He couldn't let them!

Eventually, he had deemed then done and carefully removed them from the hot oven. Removing them from the pan, he was arranging them on a plate when Sebastian came home.

"Ciel?" The demon questioned as he leaned into the kitchen from the door. "What are you doing?"

The neko-teen smiled warmly and looked over his shoulder. "I'm baking!" He beamed, proud of himself.

"Baking?" Sebastian cringed. He knew exactly how the others attempts had turned out.

"Yes! I made cookies," Ciel answered as he turned back to putting the cookies out to cool. The red eyed man sighed and carefully approached.

He was surprised to find that the fruits of Ciel's labor didn't look half as bad as any of the previous times. In fact, they didn't look bad at all.

"May I try one?" He asked. Ciel rolled his eyes.

"No, Sebastian. I made them for you to look at." He huffed. "Of course, you can eat one!"

The man just smiled.

He held up a cookie and took a cautious bite. His eyes lit up. "These aren't completely terrible. Good job!"

"Hey!" Ciel's ear twitched. "I worked hard on these, thank you very much!"

"I see you used the book from my study."

Ciel instantly quieted.

Sebastian just laughed.

-{[(•)]}-

**A/N: The second half of this story has warnings for gore and poorly written fight scenes. Also: Rat Demon OC, anyone?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Warnings for gore, torture, and fight scenes.**

-{[(•)]}-

There was a thunder storm outside.

The past couple of weeks had been quiet. Ciel entertained himself during the day, and Sebastian tried to make a habit of spending time with him in the evenings. The boy still stayed up most nights and watched over the house.

But Sebastian had already gone to bed while Ciel was finishing off another batch of cookies in the kitchen.

Then the storm had started.

Ciel had jumped at the first bright flash of light. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and moved away from the table.

Thunder rumbled directly above the house.

The neko-teen flinched and quickly covered his ears, dropping to his knees on instinct. "O-ow," he muttered and rubbed his ears. The loud noise really hurt his ears and made him kind of dizzy.

The next lightning bolt had him scuttling for cover.

_I have to get somewhere quiet_, Ciel thought anxiously. _I can't stay out in the open or my ears could be damaged..._

At the next roll of thunder, Ciel was under the desk in Sebastian's study. He kept his hands firmly planted over his ears and his eyes shut tightly. With each lightning strike, the thunder just seemed to get louder and louder.

_It hurts._

_It hurts!_

_It's too loud!_

_My head is going to explode!_

_Loud, loud, too loud._

_Make it stop!_

_I need quiet!_

_I need silence!_

_It's hurting me- make it stop-_

Ciel whimpered softly. He was shaking now. He wasn't cold, but the storm was starting to frighten him a bit. It was giving him an intense migraine, and he was terrified that the storm might never end.

Another rumble.

Pained tears gathered in the corners of the boy's eyes. He didn't dare move to wipe them away; he would have to remove his hands from his ears first, and that wasn't going to happen.

The storm's noise assaulted his ears again. He squeaked.

The door to the study opened.

Ciel pressed his hands against his ears as best he could. His tail was practically pasted to his ankles.

Footsteps moved skillfully through the dark room and around the side of the desk before stopping. A pair of legs slowly squatted down so their owner was at Ciel's level.

"Ciel?" Sebastian questioned quietly. One blue eye opened just enough to see the man. The demon immediately took notice of the small tears in the corner and the way Ciel's tail was rigidly wrapped around his ankles.

The aforementioned blue eye clamped shut once more with the next roll of thunder.

"Ciel? I don't understand. Are you scared?" Sebastian asked with worry obvious in his red eyes. The neko-child just shook his head quickly. "What's wrong?"

"T-the thunder," Ciel managed in a small voice. He squeaked. "I-i-it really h-hurts my ears."

Sebastian frowned. What could he do to help? What could he give Ciel to soften the noise?

The demon smiled when he realized what he had to do. He stood and quickly left the room.

Ciel just whined weakly and shook his head.

_It hurts!_

_Stop it!_

_Make it stop!_

The man returned moments later with a thick blanket and a wooly hat. He pulled the hat over Ciel's head, which flattened his ears and made them stay in place without having to hold them. Ciel removed his hands and blinked away his tears.

"I-I can't hear the thunder," he whispered. He looked at Sebastian with thankful eyes. The demon just wrapped the blanket around the neko-teen and pulled him out from under the desk.

"I-I'm not cold," the teen protested. "Now, I'm too warm, and it's making me-" He yawned and curled into Sebastian. "It's making me sleepy." His eyes slid to a shut, and the red eyed man carried Ciel back to their room.

Ciel could sleep in the bed tonight.

-{[(•)]}-

The neko-teen that was once alive, once an Earl, once engaged, and once the Queen's guard dog was starting to become extremely bored in a life where he was just a pet. Sure, he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He could go without eating and not get hungry, and he had someone to spend time with at a certain part of the day.

But, his days and nights were still lonely, and he wasn't capable of much besides baking cookies. His cookies were starting to taste bland.

The only thing he was starting to enjoy was sitting by the window and watching life pass by in quite the literal sense. He had already seen a sapling turn into a young tree. He could clearly recall hundreds of sunrises and sunsets. He had even watched the roses in the garden bloom.

But it was still boring.

The house was stuffy and dark. He still always felt completely alone, even when Sebastian was present.

He wanted to go outside again and sit in the warmth if the sun. He wanted to touch the roses that he had seen, to breathe in the fresher air.

He'd tried to recreate the experience of going outside by opening all the windows, but a strong wind had blown through the house and messed up all of Sebastian's papers. So he'd had to close them again and clean up the mess.

There was just no experience like sitting out in the garden for a little while.

-{[(•)]}-

Ciel had thought he'd seen something move at the beginning of the path at the gate to the garden. Curious, and blinded by his boredom, he forgot how he had been asked to stay in the house and never leave.

The teen pushed open the front door cautiously and peeked out. His ear twitched, and his tail swayed behind him. He stared out into the garden for a while before opening the front door all the way.

Ciel stood on the threshold between the garden and the house.

He took a deep breath and stepped outside. He turned and closed the door behind him of course, but then he moved quietly through the outdoor area. Sunlight lightly touched his face, and the fresh air filled his lungs.

The blue eyed teen just smiled.

As he passed them, he softly stroked the roses and the little tree. He reveled in the feel of grass on his feet, as he hadn't taken the time to put on any shoes. A gentle breeze toyed with his hair.

It was when Ciel stood at the place where the garden ended and the rest of the world started, that the teen took pause. His tail wrapped lightly around his ankles, and his ears lowered slightly.

_It's wrong to leave the house, isn't it?_ He thought as he glanced back. Something moved in the corner of his eye, quickly drawing his attention back.

_I won't go very far_, he reasoned. _And I can get home before Sebastian ever finds out!_

Something in the back of his mind quietly argued with him_. No! This is wrong!_ it said. He didn't listen.

_Stop!_

_Don't go!_

_Wait!_

Ciel stepped on to the path.

Nothing happened.

The neko-teen smiled and walked forward confidently. He looked up and admired the colorful trees that stood proudly on either side of the path. He studied the beautiful flowers he passed, and chuckled at the small animals that ran from him.

He just kept walking.

It wasn't until the sun started to set that Ciel noticed he had walked too far. He glanced behind him and immediately noticed that the house was nowhere in the distance. He squeaked as he tail wrapped tightly around his ankles and his ears flattened against his hair.

_I knew I shouldn't have left!_ He screamed at himself. _He ran as far back up the path as he could until he came to a fork in the path._

"I didn't even noticed that the path split!" He gasped. The boy backed up. "Which way did I come from?"

All of the trees looked the same to him now, and all of the flowers had seemed to disappear from view. There wasn't even a gust of wind to tell him which way to go.

_Well,_ he frowned at his own stupidity_. I guess that if I keep going, I'll eventually run into Sebastian on his way back._

He sighed, and turned around once more.

The forest that he had originally been walking towards had been transformed from the beautiful place it used to be. Now the trees weren't graceful and lovely. They towered over Ciel and darkened the pathway. The flowers had shriveled up and gone away, and the small animals weren't the ones out right now.

The teen gulped anxiously.

Wolves were howling to his right, and he could have sworn he heard a bear growling to his left. The blue eyed child brought his hands up and covered his ears.

It would do him no good to be frightened out of his wits. He might miss Sebastian.

What he didn't know was that the red eyed man had gone home a different way today.

When Ciel finally exited the eerie forest, he found himself near the entrance to the Phantomhive Estate.

The teen gasped and came to a halt at the edge of the trees. Was this where Sebastian came every day? Did people think he was still alive, or was it just Sebastian?

The boy gathered up his courage and jogged forward to the mansion. Since he was fairly far from the actual door, the teen was forced to walk through the garden. He was determined to get to the door and find the meaning of this when suddenly-

"Why hello there!" A familiar voice called.

"Finny?" Ciel choked out and spun around to find the gardener smiling and waving as he approached.

"You must be Sebastian's girlfriend!"

The teen when red in the face. "I am a boy!" He yelled.

"Don't try to deny it! I always knew Sebastian had a thing for cats!" Finny beamed and rubbed the top of Ciel's head as gently as possible. "You shouldn't be here, you know. When the young master gets back, he won't like it if I brought a cat inside."

At first, Ciel was confused. Didn't Fimny recognize him? But then, he came to the conclusion that Finny must see him as a cat. He kind of wondered what he looked like...

The teen just smiled warmly. Even when he might never return, Finny was still being loyal and following his orders.

"You're a cute one, aren't you? I'm sorry I can't let you inside, but I can always bring you something!" The blonde gardener grinned and jogged back to the house.

Tired from the long walk anyway, the neko-child just sat on the ground.

Finny returned moments later with a small saucer of warm milk. Ciel sipped it happily while listening to the gardener ramble about nothing in particular.

He missed this.

"It's getting pretty late, kitty," Finny yawned. "I should head inside. Thanks for listening to me, though!" The blonde petted Ciel again and took the dish with him when he reentered the mansion.

_It is pretty late_, the teen thought. _I wonder why I haven't seen Sebastian? He should have been somewhere along the path, or he should have seen me in the garden..._

Ciel stood and turned to return to the path in the forest. He took his time returning to where the trees started and the estate ended. Then he stood nervously at the edge of the path. His tail swished side to side uneasily.

"Scared?" An unfamiliar voice whispered in his ear. Ciel jumped and turned around only to find there was no one there. "I would be too-"

Ciel gasped and turned around again, only to find the pathway was still empty.

"-if I was being hunted."

The teen was honestly startled when two arms wrapped around him and held him close to a freezing cold body.

"AHHHHHH!" He screamed. He tried to turn his head to see his captor, but the being's clothing smelled strangely. It was making him so very light-headed.

The boy groaned and shook his head, trying to stay awake. "N-no-"

Despite his best efforts, the neko-teen fell unconscious.

-{[(•)]}-

The cold was back.

His sweater was gone, and so was Sebastian's smell...

Ciel could feel cold stone against his back and rusty metal against his wrists. Something clanked and jangled when he moved. His tail felt weighted and heavy. And he had a serious migraine.

The neko-teen blearily opened his eyes.

_What happened?_ He wondered to himself as he looked around the dark room his was currently in. _I was just at the edge of the forest, trying to get back to the house..._

"Ah," a cool, collected voice appeared from the darkness. It was calm, but so in control; shivers worked their way down Ciel's spine. "I see you have awoken. How was your sleep?"

The teen gasped slightly when he felt his throat burning.

"N-not very pleasant," he growled. Every hair on his body was standing on end. "Where am I? Where is Sebastian?"

_Sebastian,_ he thought desperately. _I need you_.

"I'm terribly sorry that we couldn't have brought you here by other means," the voice soothed, sounding genuinely apologetic and mocking all at once.

This was surely a demon.

"Why have you brought me to the place? What do you want from me?" The teen demanded, his ears flattening. His wrists were chained to the floor in front of him, and he couldn't even lift them more than a few inches.

"Well," the voice sighed as a man appeared in the light. His eyes glowed a deep red, and his skin was pale as pure moonlight. "It's not what we need from you, but what you can get from your owner."

"What I can get from Sebastian?" Ciel scowled. "Why on earth would I help you?"

"Oh, what we want isn't something you have to help with," the man assured with a chilling smile. The boy felt his body tensing up. "What we're seeking to get..."

The man loomed over the child.

"...is a reaction."

-[]-

Sebastian had been surprised to find that Ciel was not in the house. There were no signs of a struggle; the boy had clearly left of his own free will.

But the once demon butler was not one to be so easily fooled.

"I believe I smell a rat," he frowned as he exited the house once more. "I shall take care of it at once... My young lord."

-[]-

"You see," the demon grinned viciously. "I've been watching and studying cats for a while now, and I believe I have come to understand their weaknesses. It can't be hard to bring you to your knees in this form."

Ciel just remained quiet, trying to think of a way out of this.

"A cat's ears are very sensitive, a kitten's even more so because they are still developing-"

The man whacked one of his ears with a stick.

Ciel flinched and tried to reach up to sooth the stinging ache. The chains kept his hands down.

"You'll notice that there is a clamp on the end of your tail-" The man waited for the neko-teen to look. "A cat's tail is actually an extension of their spine. Pulling on it can be extremely painful."

The demon pulled on a cord that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The cord was apparently attached to the clamp, which was then yanked on.

Ciel gave a pained gasp and shook his head to try and clear away the small dizziness that was starting to form.

"And of course, every animal needs to breathe."

The teen received a strong kick to the chest.

He grunted and bent over slightly, trying to regain his breath.

_This is ridiculous!_ He realized. _I can't get out of this, and I have no idea how to get ahold of Sebastian. Why is it that when I really need him, I can't call for him?_

"Are you ready? Yes? Alright."

The demon smiled wickedly.

_I... _Ciel tried to think through the pain induced haze. _I can't take much more of this! I'm going to... To pass out... Sebastian-_

The teen grunted quietly at another bat on the ear.

Another yank on the tail.

Another kick to the chest.

Hit on the ear.

Pull on the tail.

Kick to the ribs.

Hit.

Yank.

Kick.

_Hit._

_Yank._

_Kick._

_Rinse and repeat..._

_Sebastian, help..._

_Help me..._

_Please..._

Ciel panted trying just for a moment to focus on breathing.

_Can't breathe!_

_Can't breathe!_

_Need air!_

_Help!_

_Sebastian!_

Pained tears had long since filled his eyes, but they were starting to break past his eyelashes.

_Sebastian..._

_I'm fading..._

The demon finally pulled back, panting and slightly sweaty. He took some time to straighten his attire and smooth his hair back into place.

"I believe that is enough," he declared eventually. "For now."

He turned and swiftly left the room. The chains clicked and dropped from the teen's wrists.

Ciel slumped against the wall. He tiredly rubbed his wrists, which were red from pulling against the chains. When his wrists felt alright, he rubbed his tail silently. Tears came to his eyes when he touched the end of it; the hair was starting to come out there. Then he reached up and wiped the blood that was starting to leak from his ears.

His heat hurt so much.

He honestly couldn't remember which way was up or down right now.

_It's so dark_, he finally noticed as he looked around. All around him was pitch black.

He whined weakly and scooted into the corner. He winced when he sat down again.

He didn't like the dark.

Bad things happened in the dark.

He wasn't supposed to live in the dark anymore. He had left that behind him.

Now, he lived in a bright, warm, happy home with Sebastian. He baked cookies and stole books from the study. He watched the roses grow in a sunny garden, and he was always looking for something fun to do. Sebastian cared for him, and he cared for Sebastian.

He had left the dark a long time ago.

So why was he back?

Ciel whimpered softly and covered his head. He cried out and removed his hands when they brushed against his ears.

He couldn't hear himself.

He couldn't hear himself.

_Sebastian,_ he was internally screaming and sobbing and howling all at once. _Sebastian, I need you._

"S-Seb-" he gasped loudly and curled in on himself. It hurt to talk.

He whined almost silently.

-[]-

Sebastian had been searching for quite a while.

And he had a very unpleasant feeling.

First, he had followed the path that led away from the house. It was supposed to take him to his new job, where he worked with a farmer. He did have to keep up his life force after all...

He had surprised to find that he wound up at the Phantomhive Estate.

"Ciel?" He called. The demon searched around the perimeter of the grounds before returning to where the forest started.

He came to a halt.

"Ciel?" He repeated. He could smell the teen. He was close.

Or, he had emitted strong enough hormones here to create a strong smell.

_Adrenaline?_ Sebastian wondered. He frowned when he thought that Ciel could be scared enough to leave a scent. _What have you gotten yourself into?_

A sound in the forest drew his attention.

There was a dim light.

Sebastian moved forward with incredible speed and precision.

_I will protect you, Ciel._

_Even now._

-[]-

A bright light shone into the pitch black room.

Ciel winced and covered his eyes. Two dark figures entered through the now open door. One figure was the man from before.

The other was a mere shadow of a being.

The figure was completely dark from head to toe, with no distinguishing fetuses or clothes. It was simply a dark form.

"It seems that your dear master has finally come to your rescue," the demon called. Ciel's ears perked up. "I wouldn't get to excited. I don't expect you'll live long enough to see him."

_He must not realize that I'm connected to Sebastian_, the neko-teen groggily registered. _I can't die unless Sebastian does... Although, that hasn't stopped me from feeling pain..._

"This," the man now gestured to the shadowy form at his side, "is a lost soul. He tried to end himself in his former life. All that remains is the deep darkness that was inside him. I have taken it, and trained it to submit to my will. It no longer has a mind of its own, nor a heart. It cannot feel pity or remorse, and that is why it shall take care of you while I handle Sebastian."

_I can handle more pain in my tail and ears if that's what it takes_, Ciel decided. _If I can just hold on until Sebastian gets here..._

The man offered a whip to the dark being.

"Don't stop, even if all that you are whipping is a dead body."

The teen stared up at the shadowy figure with wide eyes.

His tail shifted towards his ankles.

His ears lowered once more.

The being raised the whip above its head.

Ciel covered his head and bent forward so only his back was exposed.

The door closed, and the light disappeared.

The first hit drew a cry out of him.

Raise.

Hit.

Pause.

Repeat.

_Sebastian..._

-[]-

The demon pushed open the door to the tower.

_I'm fairly certain that this tower never existed near the estate before_, Sebastian thought.

He leaned in and glanced around first, checking to see if he was alone. A dark being appeared at the end of the dimly lit hall. Its reflection shone on the polished marble flooring.

Sebastian immediately reached into his tailcoat, by now used to having kitchenware on hand for self-defense and as weaponry. He grasped the butter knives and forks, but he did not make any other moves.

There was something else there.

"I had hoped that you would be more easily fooled, a bit more desperate to rescue your dear pet, but it seems that I was the fool," another demon sighed as he stepped out of the shadows. He slicked back his hair and adjusted his jacket. "I suppose I should have known."

"Ah, so this was meant to be a trap then," Sebastian concluded and leisurely stepped inside. He made a show of removing his hand from his tailcoat, free of kitchenware. "What have you done with him?"

"Not too much, but I had hoped for enough time to do a little bit more. I assume that it will have to be enough for the desired effect," the other man sighed. The two demons moved forward with all of the casual laziness they possessed, until they met calmly in the middle.

"I do hope you've taken good care of him. He is in a fragile state right now," Sebastian stated, his face as smooth as stone. It appeared that he didn't care.

"Yes, that state of his. A recently revived soul in the form of a newborn kitten, complete with all the primary fears and pains," his opponent smirked. "Of course, I can't say our hospitality was the best for someone of his... kind. I'm surprised you hadn't already scared the poor thing half to death by now."

"I see you've done your research. Can I also assume that each step of the way has been carefully projected and prepared for?" Sebastian questioned.

"Certainly."

"Good, then. I've been getting rather bored. May I inquire as to your objective for this little endeavor?"

"Oh, that answer is quite simple," the other man waved nonchalantly. "I seek to see the look on your face when you find his body."

More shadowy forms instantly appeared around the two demons.

"You don't have very long now until he's gone. Let's play a game and see who dies first," Sebastian's enemy smirked. _"Him?"_

The dark beings lunged.

_"Or you?"_

-[]-

Raise.

Whip.

Pause.

Repeat.

_Raise._

_Whip._

_Pause._

_Repeat._

Ciel could practically feel the blood just oozing out of his wounds.

He could feel every laceration, every cut.

The whip would latch on to his flesh.

And then pull.

His shirt had already been shredded. He was actually quite thankful that he wasn't wearing his sweater. It would have been ruined by now.

All torn up and stained with his blood.

_Sebastian, Sebastian_, Ciel sang in his head. _Whenever will you-_

He choked on a small, silent sob.

_Whenever will you come for your little pet?_

His hands were trembling as they tried to protect his head. The whip missed his back quite a few times, and it wrapped around his hand, tearing at the sensitive flesh.

His ears were bleeding again.

His tail was safe because it lay dead around his ankles.

_Oh_, he thought from his place on the floor. _I must have collapsed at some point._

His whole body was shaking on the cold stones that made up the ground beneath him.

Raise.

Whip.

Pause.

Repeat.

_I'm really just a pet, aren't I?_

Drip drip drip went the blood on the ground.

_Why would Sebastian even come for me?_

Dark dark dark in the air all around.

_I'm not even sure we really have a relationship._

Whip whip whip went the shadow made of sadness.

_I care for him a lot, but I suppose I'm just a pet._

But but but the boy didn't make a sound.

_He hasn't even come for me yet..._

-[]-

Sebastian flinched and barely missed the next attack that came flying wildly from behind.

"Ciel," he gasped, and his red eyes flickered up towards a point on the ceiling.

_He's too injured_, the demon frowned as he threw his next knife. _My life force might not be able to support us both._

He grabbed as many pieces of salvageable kitchenware as he could from the bodies scattered around the ballroom, all the while dodging incoming attacks. His focus remained mostly on his demonic opponent.

The other man smirked daringly and moved his sword in yet another wild dance. Sebastian barely missed each strike, unable to truly return any with his own.

"Tell me," he grunted and threw a few forks. "Why are you doing this? What is there to gain?"

"You know as well as I do how one goes about becoming a demon," the enemy became solemn for once. "My elder sister became a demon in an effort to save our family. She ended up killing my mother and eating my father's soul."

"How tragic," Sebastian scowled as he kept fighting the beings that just never seemed to die.

"Not really," the other demon shrugged. "Then the most peculiar thing happened. She sacrificed herself for her human lover to make him a demon." The man's face darkened significantly. "So that he might live forever and her sorrow could end."

Sebastian refused to admit that his eyes widened a fraction, the story sounding vaguely familiar.

"My parents were terrible people, deserved to die really. But I loved my sister, and she died for an unworthy cause," the demon threw his sword forward angrily. "I've traced her lover for hundreds of years, and it all comes down to YOU!"

Sebastian dropped to the floor and just barely missed being impaled through the heart by the sword. His eyes widened, and his licked his lips.

"I see. I believe that some false accusations have been flying about."

He grunted a little when a sudden strike hit his side.

"Your sister sounds like a wonderful woman, but I can't understand what you seek to gain. Punishing me will do nothing. I've heard your sister's story."

He winced at another blow to his shoulder.

"But, I can tell you in all honestly that I don't remember my life before now. I thrive on revenge. I know very little of love."

Sebastian dodged another shadow.

Suddenly, he lunged forward and slid his hand around the sword's handle, pulling it from his opponent. Not taking any chances, he spun back around and stabbed the other demon through the heart. He flipped again, swinging the sword around in a wide circle to chop off the rat demon's head. He lifted the sword above his head with both hands and forced the sword straight through the decapitated skull.

The shadowy forms dissipated into the air, seeing that they were no longer under the control of their master.

The once-butler stood still for a long moment taking deep breaths, his hand clutching his wounded side.

Sebastian knew that just destroying the head still wouldn't kill his enemy, especially since he only used a plain human sword. He quickly gathered his saliva and spit on the head and body. He snapped his fingers, igniting his specialized demon saliva.

"I do apologize," the standing demon stated. "Spitting was rather uncivilized of me. Ah well, it's not like you can raise a temper with me."

The red eyed man quickly advanced to the stairs in the hall and on to the next floor of the tower.

_"Sebastian~!"_

The man came to a halt and listened carefully.

_"Sebastian~!"_ The faint whine came again.

His eyes locked on to the door that hosted the source of the sound. He stepped forward quickly and cautiously opened the door.

When nothing popped out at him, the demon entered.

"Sebastian!" Ciel mewed again, sounding for all the world like a bawling child. Said child was propped up in the corner of the dark cell, covered in few wounds.

"It astounding how easy it is to recognize something's beauty-" Sebastian smiled warmly and ran his fingers through Ciel's hair. The corners of his lips curved down into a snarl. "-when you see a poorly made copy."

"Seb-!" The fake Ciel choked as blood gushed out of his mouth, his vocal cords having just been ripped from his throat.

"Terribly sorry. I wasn't in the mood to listen to that awful racket any longer." The demon stood and roughly kicked the writhing body beneath him. "My Ciel would never stoop to such a level as to whine for me. Even now he retains his pride. A truly worthy soul."

The demon turned from the motionless teen and exited the room.

"Now. Where could the real one be?"

Loud sobbing came from another door ahead.

He sighed.

"Not there."

-[]-

Raise.

_Sebastian._

Whip.

_Sebastian._

Pause.

_I'm sorry..._

Repeat.

_I'm so, so sorry..._

His whole body was still, his hands barely resting atop his head.

_I'm sorry I couldn't hold on..._

-[]-

Sebastian had climbed through the tower, searching hundreds of empty rooms on over a dozen floors. It had taken him an eternity to find his Ciel.

And he hadn't much liked what he had found.

Another one of those shadow beasts was mercilessly whipped Ciel's unconscious form. A form which was bloody and scarred by now.

Sebastian took a sniff.

And there was a lot of hormones in the air.

Poor teen.

Sebastian didn't much care for formalities at this point as he sighed and forced his hand into the shadow's back.

The figure let out a silent scream of agony.

"Terribly sorry. Just trying to locate the heart," the demon muttered. He was reaching in up to his elbow and he still couldn't find what he was looking for. An irritated sigh passed his lips.

The whip fell from the being's hand.

"Ah-ha!" Sebastian smirked. "Found it." He wrapped his hand tightly around the life giving organ and pulled.

The being collapsed at his feet.

"Interesting," the red eyed man observed as he stared at the pulsating heart in his hand. He let his drop to the ground.

The form writhed.

"This is for Ciel," the demon growled and crushed the heart under his heel.

Ciel moaned quietly, bringing Sebastian to his side in an instant.

"Alright, Ciel. I'm going to apologize in advance for this because I know it will hurt," Sebastian declared with worry evident in his suddenly much more brown eyes. "You can't die from blood loss, because my life force won't let you. Your wounds, though, can be infected, and you can get sick. If you fall ill, you might not reawaken because my life force simply cannot heal you that much."

Ciel didn't respond.

"I have to clean out the wounds, Ciel. It is the only way," Sebastian admitted, looking like he was about to panic. "And you have said wounds all over your body..."

The demon carefully flipped Ciel over and picked him up bridal style.

Ciel whimpered loudly, and his hands twitched.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be as gentle as possible," Sebastian murmured, feeling tears come to his eyes.

_This wasn't supposed to happen. Ciel is supposed to die! I was trying to keep him alive, not put him in harm's way... This is all my fault._

The duo stepped outside the tower.

_I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you, that I couldn't keep you from the pain. I'm sorry that he hurt you. I'm sorry you had to see that..._

Sebastian was running through the forest at neck-breaking speeds, rushing to get to their little secluded cottage.

_I suppose I should have told you... Told you why I didn't want you to leave the house. Why I didn't let you go outside even though you wanted to... Why I couldn't even let you sit just beyond the door..._

Ciel gasped and panted, struggling to breathe.

"Live, Ciel!" Sebastian demanded. "If not for yourself, then live for me! Just live!"

_It must be my fault. They're my enemies, and you were dragged into this mess because of me and my problems. I'm sorry that you were involved._

The demon kicked open the door to the house, having leapt over the garden gate. Ciel's fingers twitched weakly.

_I'm sorry that this is going to hurt even more. I'm sorry that I can't make the hurt go away. That would be all I could give to you at this time; but no, I cannot take away the pain._

The black haired man deposited the neko-child on the kitchen table and instantly retrieved the first aid kit. He rifled through the supplies, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

"D*** it all!" He shouted. There wasn't enough alcohol.

The boy whimpered quietly.

"Shhh, shhh!" Sebastian hushed in his panic. "It's okay, Ciel. Everything will be alright. I've got everything under control!"

_This is going to have to work..._

Sebastian winced at his crude idea as he grabbed the bottle of cleanser. He used his other hand to flip the boy over, all the while, pouring little bits of alcohol into each wound.

Ciel's screams could be heard for miles all the way around.

The poor teen was still whimpering when Sebastian finished wrapping his chest.

"I'm sorry, Ciel," Sebastian whispered lowly as he bowed his head. He gripped the bloodied edge of the table and dropped to his knees, finally letting his exhaustion show.

Trembling from the strain he was now putting on his body, he quietly made his way to the washroom to clean himself up.

_I really can't use so much of my life force at once_, the demon considered as he cleaned his side. He winced and began to clean his shoulder. _But, I can't let Ciel fade away, either. Especially not now._

_I need a soul._

_Soon._

-{[(•)]}-

When Ciel reawakened, he was by himself in the bed. He was shirtless, only wearing the bandages around his back and arms. Luckily, his legs hadn't been too damaged.

Not so luckily, being beaten to death can take a lot out of you, and Ciel was asleep again all too quickly.

-{[(•)]}-

It had taken him a while, but Ciel had learned the difference between falling asleep and being knocked unconscious. One was certainly much more pleasant than the other.

So, when he reawakened from sleeping, he felt entirely more energized.

Confused at being in the bed, the poor child forgot what had happened it seemed as he moved to sit up.

His mouth opened in a silent cry and he quickly lowered himself back on to the mattress. His fingers tightened on the sheets, and his tail twitched to and fro in silent agony.

"S-S-Seb-ba-" he coughed roughly, feeling something familiar trickle down his chin. "S-Sebas-" The boy gave up, his throat feeling entirely too raw, and his chest hurting far too much to speak.

_I can't remember what happened. Just as everything was going dark, the door opened, and I could have sworn I saw Sebastian..._

_Did he really rescue me?_

Ciel squeaked slightly when the window creaked in the wind.

The window was open.

Sebastian was letting fresh air into the house?

Or...

Or had someone broken in?!

Ciel panicked a bit, knowing that there was no way for him to defend himself in like this. Not when he couldn't even sit up!

_Where, oh, where could Sebastian be?_ Ciel hummed in his head.

So maybe he was panicking more than a bit.

His tail snaked down and wrapped around his ankle.

He shrieked in surprise at the furry touch.

_Oh_, he laughed inwardly at himself. _It was just my own tail. Haha..._

"Ciel, are you alright?" Sebastian questioned, after elegantly bursting into the room.

"S-Sebastian," the neko-teen sighed in relief. He felt his muscles loosening, and his body practically melted into the bed.

Memories flashed through his mind.

He tensed again.

Tears came to his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered and tried to blink away his tears. "I'm sorry I went out, e-even though you told me not to. A-and I'm sorry I g-got caught, and you had to save m-me again. A-and I'm r-really sorry for-"

"Ciel," Sebastian let out his own relieved breath. "I think we can both take a little ownership on either side. It's alright; don't apologize."

The child sniffled softly and relaxed again.

"I assume, then, that you remember the events of last week?" The demon questioned and moved further into the room to sit beside his kitty companion.

"Last week?!" Ciel gasped. Sebastian quietly ran his fingers through the boy's hair.

"Yes," he responded with a face as smooth as stone. "You were unconscious for a week, only awakening in states of delirium and insanity. You gave me quite the scare, Ciel."

The neko-teen shivered in slight delight at the affection touch. He silently watched the red eyed man, observing his wrinkle-less expression.

"You were worried," he concluded softly. He gave a small smile. "You scared me too. I thought you weren't going to come..." He looked away in shame.

The once-butler startled.

"What?" He declared. "Why wouldn't I come?"

Ciel blushed and slowly wiped his eyes.

"Because I'm just your silly little pet that's always getting into mischief," he answered.

"Exactly. That's why I wished to keep you. Honestly, I don't understand you souls. You're always looking for some reason to hate yourselves. Quite pitiable, really," Sebastian sighed and stood.

Ciel scowled.

"Who wants to hate themselves? That's utterly ridiculous," he protested hotly before yawning.

"Get some rest, Ciel. We can talk more, later," the demon suggested. The neko-child sleepily nodded and drifted off.

The man stayed for a long moment, just enjoying the fact that Ciel was breathing.

-{[(•)]}-

[ONE YEAR LATER...]

"I'm home," the demon called as he entered the house. He quickly removed his coat, which was then hung on a coat-hanger near the door, and shook out his dripping umbrella.

"Welcome back," Ciel replied without looking up from his book. He was currently stretched out on his mat near the stove, reading his most recent gift from his master.

"How was you day?" Sebastian asked as he began to undo his tie, looking into the mirror near the door the entire time.

"Lovely. I baked a batch of double chocolate, walnut and almond cookies."

"Sounds nice. Were they any good?"

"I should have added vanilla."

"Hmm."

"I started this book here," the teen tapped the cover as he spoke.

The black haired man glanced over.

"Is it any good?" He asked. The boy scoffed.

"Of course it's good. I wouldn't read anything that wasn't, and you wouldn't bring me anything that wasn't. And I trust you, so of course it's good. What a ridiculous question," the boy shook his head.

The red eyed man began to remove his tail coat.

"Did you do anything else?" He questioned as he fiddled with a particularly finicky button. He wanted to smack himself upside the head for forgetting to mend it once again...

"Umm," the boy blushed and ducked his head back into his book. "No, not really."

"Ah?" Sebastian smirked and completely stopped his actions. He crossed the room with his long strides until he towered over the boy, his tail coat still only half on, half off and his tie hanging around his neck. "Nothing else, you say?"

He didn't miss how Ciel's tail wrapped around his ankles.

The boy sneezed weakly.

The teen gave a sheepish grin.

"I went in the garden for a little bit..."

Sebastian groaned and went back to trying to unbutton his tail coat.

"In this weather?!" He moaned. His jacket now removed, he placed a hand to his forehead in frustration. "Ciel, it's raining cats and dogs outside. You know how you are; you probably got sick."

The boy sneezed again.

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched.

-{[(•)]}-

**A/N: What do you guys think? The doujin had Ciel go to the manor, talk to Finny, return to the forest, and get picked up by Sebastian so he could be "punished..." *shudders* I thought it would be more interesting if something actually happened to Ciel when he left.**

**About the girl who turned herself into a demon and then gave up her life for her lover. That was NOT Sebastian. Rat demon is stupid, and got sent off on the wrong trail, which led him to Sebby. That's why Sebastian was all shocked. He seriously had no clue what was going on.**

**What did you think of the fight scene? Usually, I pretty bad at them, but I think I did well. Reviewers get a vial of flammable demon spit!**


End file.
